# What is this blue "protective circle" figure called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2024, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092 "2024-04-10T09:05:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/1 "2024-04-10T09:05:58Z")
Picture: [![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1860/6331/files/evil-eye_large.jpg?v=1490056998) ](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1860/6331/files/evil-eye_large.jpg?v=1490056998) I’m traveling in Türkiye and this is everywhere. The markets are full of jewelry, handbags, shirts, etc. festooned with this figure. [![](https://fengshuibeginner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Evil-Eye-Protection-1.jpg) ](https://fengshuibeginner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Evil-Eye-Protection-1.jpg) We’ve seen them in many places in our travels: Greece, Tunisia, Morocco, etc etc. It’s clearly well known and popular. What’s not well known, apparently, is what the thing is _called._ My wife (Iranian born) calls it “the symbol of protection from the evil eye.” And that terminology is common, as I’ve searched for a name. For example: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/8425/7573546574_b4afc46b58_b.jpg "Blue eyes") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/shahrazad26/7573546574) What surprises me is that there isn’t a single simple name for the thing. Like, “That’s an ‘X,’ it protects against the evil eye.” Because “that’s a blue protection against the evil eye circle” is pretty unwieldy. My wife did some searches of her own in Farsi, and believes it might have adapted somehow from the eye of Horus. I’m skeptical: [![](https://cdn.britannica.com/76/193576-050-693A982E/Eye-of-Horus.jpg) ](https://cdn.britannica.com/76/193576-050-693A982E/Eye-of-Horus.jpg) Any better information? My attempts to google have been fruitless. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/2 "2024-04-10T09:11:39Z")
It appears to be called the Evil Eye, or Nazar ! > **[Want Protection From The Evil Eye? Here's What To Do, From Experts](https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/evil-eye-meaning)** > > Get your talismans ready. > Evil eye amulets are often blue, in the shape of an eye, and are known as _nazar_ , which translates from Arabic as "sight and attention. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/3 "2024-04-10T09:47:34Z")
[Nazar (amulet)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazar_(amulet)) > The nazar was added to [Unicode](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicode) as U+1F9FF 🧿 NAZAR AMULET in 2018.[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazar_(amulet)#cite_note-8) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/4 "2024-04-10T12:17:33Z")
Thank you! This has been driving me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/5 "2024-04-10T12:29:26Z")
Yes, when we were in Turkiye we got one, it hangs on our Christmas tree each season to protect it from the evil eye. I only saw them called “Evil Eye” there. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/6 "2024-04-10T13:41:27Z")
From that Wikipedia article: > Historically old, the blue bead has gained importance as an item of popular [culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Turkey) in Modern Turkey. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/7 "2024-04-10T20:46:13Z")
I’ve also seen the Greek “maloike” (which also means “evil eye”). ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/8 "2024-04-10T23:16:05Z")
My favorite west coast-based bead supplier calls these “evil eye beads,” marketed as providing protection against the evil eye. Most of them are blue, but they have some multipacks featuring brown, black, green, red, and purple eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/9 "2024-04-23T20:41:10Z")
_Nazar boncuğu_ is the Turkish name for it. _nazar_ = the evil eye _boncuk_ = bead _boncuğu_ = its bead So _nazar boncuğu_ = bead of the evil eye ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/10 "2024-04-23T21:12:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’ve also seen the Greek “maloike” I haven’t seen “maloike” but I have seen “mati” or “madi”, which directly translates as just “eye”, but in this context means “evil eye”. The actual Greek is μάτι (mati) so “madi” is technically a mispelling. It can also be called κακό μάτι (kako mati) which translates to “evil eye”. It can also be called φυλαχτό (fylachto) which means “talisman”. This is a more generic word though and refers to any sort of talisman. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/11 "2024-04-24T01:25:20Z")
That has always confused me because it is a talisman _against_ the evil eye. At one time I thought it was called the “Eye of Athena” but apparently I am the only person to ever think that. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-blue-protective-circle-figure-called/1000092/12 "2024-04-24T01:28:11Z")
Never mind.